I loved the overall plot and the intricacies of the magic of the Travelers and the solsenti or regular humans. There were so many abilities, and various ways of doing magic. It was all extremely interesting and well thought out. I also loved Tier and the children's characters. They were all so loyal, protective, kind, and good that it was just heartwarming. Seraph took me a lot longer to like due to her coldness which was necessary to keep her magic in check, but thankfully she found a way to shoulder her magic and allow herself emotions. So in the end I just adored their entire family. Also, the character of the Emperor who started out as an annoyance proved himself and his worth by the end. I can see him becoming a great figure in their world and their history.

My issues with the book was the pacing, which is hard to understand as the plot seemed to unveil itself and it's mysteries at a continuous rate. Yet there were several times when I felt it was just moving along too slowly. My other issue with this book was the relationship between Tier and Seraph. In over 20 years of marriage they never told one another that they loved the other. And it's not as if they didn't until all of these hardships forced them to reevaluate their feelings. They both have loved one another for the majority of the marriage but it was never said. This just seems like something that should have come up much sooner than now regardless of her Travelers upbringing. His humor, teasing, and general mirth should have made it an issue.

Either way, Patricia Briggs just gives readers another reason to see how great of a writer she is. Her stories are detailed in their plots, smooth in their style, and seamless in their construction. By the end I really enjoyed the book, which is sometimes hard for me since I rarely read pure fantasy books. I truly enjoy her style and will definitely be reading the 2nd book in the duology, Raven's Strike.

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